I tried out the new Anthem of the Seas before she heads to Australia

New to Australia, Anthem will be the latest ship from Royal Caribbean to make its Down Under debut when it arrives in Sydney in November 2025.

Ahead of her Australia debut, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas made her highly anticipated arrival in Singapore for her first-ever season in Asia.

Docking at Marina Bay Cruise Centre, the Quantum-class vessel played host to a ship tour for Singapore based media, before her debut voyage on 21 November for a 4-Night roundtrip cruise from Singapore to Penang and Phuket.

After that, she will homeport in Singapore until October 2025, sailing to various Southeast Asian destinations in Malaysia, Thailand, Bali, and Vietnam.

“We’re thrilled to introduce Anthem to the region and look forward to welcoming holidaymakers onboard as they embark on new adventures with Royal Caribbean,” said Chad Grospe, vice president, Asia-Pacific, Royal Caribbean International.“Whether it’s a short 3 to 4-night escape or a longer adventure to fan-favourite destinations across Malaysia, Thailand and more, every type of holidaymaker can look forward to a variety of experiences on deck, from showstopping entertainment to restaurants and spots to grab a bite with flavours from around the world.”

If you’re thinking of taking a fly-cruise to Singapore to enjoy the ship’s itineraries around Southeast Asia, or plan on waiting till her Sydney debut – here’s what you can look forward to.

The ship

At 168,666 tonnage, the Quantum-class vessel saw her maiden sailing in 2015. Despite not being one of the newer vessels in the Quantum-Ultra or Oasis/Icon class, she’s a well-kept ship.

On our ship tour, we found that facilities were well-maintained and the ship was in great condition. Though she’s a big vessel with a 4,906 guest capacity, navigation around the ship is easy thanks to ample signage at each deck.

We took our ship tour in the late morning to midday when lots of people were boarding, but did not encounter any jams around the lift areas. Of course, certain decks like the Royal Esplanade (where Guest Services is located) were more packed, but the crowd was managed well with no gridlocks. 

On our visit, we also noticed that certain staterooms were only opened from 1pm – so do bear that in mind if you plan to board earlier. If so, the WindJammer buffet is a great place to grab a bite until your room is ready.

Facilities & activities

Our tour started with a visit to the Deck 14 Pool Deck. Anthem boasts 2 outdoor pools, an indoor pool, as well as an adults-only solarium with three ’tiers’ of smaller pools. Free-flow vanilla and chocolate ice cream is offered from an ice-cream dispenser next to the outdoor pool – a perfect refresher for a sunny day.

For families, it would be helpful to note that though there’s a kid’s swim area, toddlers in diapers (even swim diapers) are not permitted in any of the pools.

We were then shown the FlowRider and iFly, Royal’s iconic surf and sky-diving simulators located at the back of the ship. They weren’t yet open to guests when we visited. But having done both of these on other vessels like Spectrum, I can say they are great fun and one should definitely try them out!

We were told by Royal that both the iFly and FlowRider are chargeable activities which you can book in advance. I was a little surprised to hear that the FlowRider is now a chargeable activity, having done it for free on Spectrum.

We also stopped by the Seaplex, a large indoor activity space hosting everything from bumper cars to sports tournaments and Xbox. It’s a great place to stop by if you’ve had too much of the outdoor heat, and the bumper cars are a thrilling ride too. The Seaplex also leads to an indoor arcade with games, which cruisers can pay for using their Seapass.

Another highlight which we got to experience is the NorthStar, an all-glass observation capsule with panoramic 360 degree views from 300 feet above sea level. This is a great activity to do at Singapore’s port, where you can view the stunning skyline from Marina Bay Cruise Centre.

Dining

With 6 signature restaurants, a Main Dining Room split into 4 smaller restaurants and numerous casual options, foodies are spoilt for choice.

New to Asia is Johnny Rockets at the Pool Deck. Here, holidaymakers can indulge in American classics like burgers and milkshakes in retro setting. A combo goes for $14.99 USD for an entree (e.g. burgers, chicken tenders or a rocket dog), a side like fries or onion rings and a soda.

We had lunch at specialty restaurant Jamie’s Italian, which offers classic Italian fare like lasagne, parmigiana, prawn linguine, tiramisu and cheesecaks. I did find the food a tad underwhelming though – the pasta wasn’t quite al-dente enough and my lemon meringue cheesecake was way too sweet.

Unless you’re really craving Italian, the food at Royal’s Main Dining Room is already excellent (I’m still drooling over the Steak Diane and apple crumble I had on board Spectrum). The Windjammer buffet is another good option, with a wide variety of Asian and Western cuisine and desserts.

Staterooms

Anthem features 2090 staterooms: 1571 balcony rooms, 378 inside staterooms, 148 outside staterooms, 375 virtual balcony rooms, 16 family-connected rooms and 34 wheelchair-accessible rooms.

We got a sneak peek at two rooms in the suite category, the Sky Loft suite and Grand Loft. For an all-out luxury vacation, the Sky Loft suite is the one to beat. It features two bathrooms, a private balcony with a dining area, a two-deck-high stateroom with floor-to-ceiling views, and a spacious living room with a dining area.

If you’re on a tighter budget, the balcony and interior staterooms are well-appointed too. We were surprised by how spacious the virtual balcony staterooms turned out to be, and the virtual screen of Singapore’s attractions is a nice touch (though the visuals are a little fuzzy). The balcony staterooms are a perfect middle ground if you want to pay a bit more and enjoy scenic ocean views.

Our final thoughts

Whilst Anthem isn’t one of Royal’s newer, shiner vessels with the latest attractions (especially since Singapore has enjoyed a Spectrum homeporting season), she still has lots to offer cruisers from Australia.

Activity lovers will enjoy crowd-pleasing attractions like the RipCord by iFLY, North Star and FlowRider, as well as theatre productions like Olivier Award-winning musical “We Will Rock You,” featuring Queen’s iconic anthems.

Royal’s service remains in top form too – we observed lots of proactive service staff during check-in offering to help guests out.

If you’re thinking of fly-cruising to Singapore, the longer Southeast Asia itineraries are exciting. An 8-night Bali Adventure takes travellers on a journey to Bali’s coastline, where they can visit iconic temples like Tanah Lot, enjoy traditional Balinese dance performances and discover the cultural hub of Ubud.

On the 10-night ultimate Southeast Asia adventure, cruisers can dive into history at Ho Chi Minh City’s History Museum and Reunification Hall in Vietnam or shop at the Ben Thanh Market.

Anthem will also celebrate the upcoming holiday season with a 4-night Christmas getaway on December 24, 2024, to Penang and Phuket. Holidaymakers can also ring in the New Year on a 5-night voyage on December 28, 2024, exploring iconic cities across Malaysia and Thailand.